20 Questions With a Sorcerer
by LaReine326
Summary: Arthur survived the series finale and he and Gwen have some questions. Slight AU. No slash.


I do no own BBC's Merlin or any of it's characers

When Arthur survived it was a miracle. He didn't wake up for days and it took much longer for him to regain his strength. But it had been a month since then. Arthur was almost fully recovered and he'd requested to see Merlin.

Merlin knocked and the door opened to show him Gwen with a warm smile. She immediately pulled him into a hug.

"I haven't seen you in ages." She said before letting him go. Merlin replied with a sheepish smile.

"You finally learned how to knock." A familiar voice said from the bed. Merlin looked over to see Arthur sitting upright against a few pillows. He didn't have his normal tan and he was shirtless. Merlin could see the tops of the bandages peeking out above the blanket that covered his legs and stomach. But he looked a hell of a lot better than he did last Merlin saw him.

"Lord, Merlin would you relax? You're even paler than usual." Arthur commented

"Sorry" Merlin answered. He swallowed "why did you want to see me?"

Gwen sat next to her husband on the bed and motioned to the chair. Merlin sat and stared anxiously. In that moment Gwen noticed how remarkably similar he looked to the teenager who she watched come into town all those years ago. The same look of nervousness and anticipation.

Gwen walked over to the table where a kettle and three cups sat. She poured two and turned to Merlin

"Would you like some tea?"

"No. Thanks. Guinevere."

Her full name. Merlin never called her that, even when she became queen.

Gwen and Arthur looked at each other.

"I wanted to talk to you earlier, but you were never with gaius when he came " Arthur stated.

"Yeah. I wasn't sure you'd want to see me."

"That's fair" Arthur replied

There was a pause that felt like it lasted hours before Gwen spoke up.

"Merlin, I know how scary this must be, but we didn't ask you here to arrest you. We're not going to execute you. That was never even a consideration."

Merlin exhaled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "So why am I here."

Another shares look. "We want to ask you some questions." Arthur said

"You're not in trouble." Gwen interjected. "We just want to know the whole story. But we won't force you if you don't want to."

"No. It's fine." Merlin said. "What do you want to know?"

"That easy?" Arthur asked.

"Honestly I'm just glad you don't want to kill me." The couple both laughed, but it felt forced.

"I don't even know where to start." Gwen said.

"Me either" Her husband replied.

"Why don't we start with easy ones and get harder." Merlin suggested

"That's probably a good idea." Gwen said "Is anything off limits?"

"I'll let you know if you've gone too far." He jokingly answered.

There was laughter and then nothing or several long moments.

"How long, have you been practicing magic?" Arthur broke the silence.

Merlin sighed "I...I was born with magic."

"I didn't know that was possible." Gwen said incredulously.

"Neither did anyone else. I'm kind of an anomaly."

"So you just have magic, and no one knows why?" Arthur asked.

"Well I didn't say that." Merlin replied. He was met with two identical stares, urging him to explain. "There's sort of a prophecy."

"About you?" Arthur asked in disbelief.

"Actually it's about both of us."

"What does it say?"

"It says you are the once and future king. And that you will unite all of Albion."

"Why have I never heard of this?"

"It's well known among sorcerers. But I imagine your father wanted you to have nothing to do with it."

"You know other sorcerers? What do meet up once a week for a pint?"

"No. We just sort of always end up running into each other."

There was a moment of silence before Gwen spoke up. "Who else knows you have magic"

"A few people. My mother, Gaius, morgana found out somehow, and Umm." he trailed off.

"What?" Arthur asked

"Umm well you remember Lance came to the knights because we were friends. He sort of figured it out." Merlin paused knowing it was a sore subject.

"Oh" Arthur replied

There was silence for a moment.

"What does the prophecy say about you?" Gwen asked.

"What" Merlin asked.

"You only told us what it says about Arthur. What does it say about you?"

"It… it says that I'm supposed to protect Arthur. And bring magic back to the realm."

"I don't think I need protection." Arthur replied.

"Says the man with a hole in his stomach." Merlin answered. Arthur reddened and Gwen and Merlin shared a look.

They talked for hours. Merlin telling them all the stories they'd never heard.

"No. No way. You did not get shot last week. I saw you last week."

"I can show you the scar"

"Please keep your clothes on merlin." Arthur replied a little too loudly and they all burst out laughing. About halfway through the night thr tea had been traded for wine and even Merlin partook.

"How do these people keep finding you?" Gwen asked still laughing

"I've been asking myself that for five years." Merlin replied causing another fit of laughter from gwen and a chuckle from arthur."

"You have to teach me how to call a dragon."

"Well you'd sort of have to be a dragon lord first."

The mood of the room immediately changed

"Is that a joke?" Arthur asked.

"Are you regretting saying that you wouldn't execute me?" Merlin joked, but no one laughed.

"We have record of every dragon lord, and Balinor was the last one."

"Right. I didn't think we'd get around to that story tonight."

"Merlin if you don't want to…" Gwen

"No. It's fine." Merlin took a breath. "Balinor worked for your father. He kept dragons from attacking the city. But then Uther put out an order for the execution of all the dragonlords."

"And then Balinor escaped. I know all that. What does it have to do with you?"

Merlin sighed. "What you don't know is how he escaped. Gaius didn't agree with Uther's views on sorcery. So he put Balinor in hiding with his niece. My mother."

"What are you trying to say?" Arthur asked.

"Balinor was my father."

Gwen and Arthur both went completely silent.

"He didn't want to get my mom in trouble so he skipped town. He had no idea she was…" Merlin paused when he saw their faces. "Really It's fine. I only met him the once so we weren't close or anything"

Suddenly Merlin was once again wrapped in Gwen's arms. Tears pricked at her eyes while she reached out to move some hair out of his face.

"I don't know how you function with your hair always in your eyes."

"You sound like my mother." He said back

Gwen chuckled "I think I'm gonna get another bottle."

"I keep telling you we can get a night servant." Her husband replied.

"I am perfectly capable of walking to the kitchen, my love." She walked out leaving the boys alone.

"Listen, Merlin. What I said about him not being worth your tears."

"Don't worry about it. You had no way of knowing."

"I know. I just wish you had someone to talk to."

"I had Gaius."

"Yeah, but I mean. Someone your own age, who isn't your uncle." He paused. "When my father died you were with me the whole time. I just wish I could've done the same for you"

"I appreciate that."

The door opened and gwen returned holding two more bottles.

"They've changed the whole kitchen since I was last in there. Took me ages to find these."

"Thanks, Gwen, but I should go before I say anything too embarrassing."

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Arthur joked.

Merlin smiled and walked out the door. He was part way into the hallway when He heard his name.

"Merlin" Arthur's voice called. The servant turned to face the couple. "Same time tomorrow?"


End file.
